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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. content — the amount
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. suit — clothes
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. content — happy
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. vault — a safe
  12. game — a match
  13. mug — to rob
  14. scale — size or range
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mug — a face
  17. game — wild animals
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. suit — in cards
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. board — a committee
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mug — a cup
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com